A fang is a long, pointed
tooth. In
mammals, a fang is a modified maxillary tooth, used for biting and tearing flesh. In
snakes
Snakes are elongated, limbless, carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes . Like all other squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales. Many species of snakes have skulls with several more joints ...
, it is a specialized tooth that is associated with a venom gland (see
snake venom).
Spiders also have external
fangs
A fang is a long, pointed tooth. In mammals, a fang is a modified maxillary tooth, used for biting and tearing flesh. In snakes, it is a specialized tooth that is associated with a venom gland (see snake venom). Spiders also have external ...
, which are part of the
chelicerae
The chelicerae () are the mouthparts of the subphylum Chelicerata, an arthropod group that includes arachnids, horseshoe crabs, and sea spiders. Commonly referred to as " jaws", chelicerae may be shaped as either articulated fangs, or similarl ...
.
Fangs are most common in carnivores or omnivores, but some herbivores, such as
fruit bats, have them as well. They are generally used to hold or swiftly kill prey, such as in large cats. Omnivorous animals, such as
bear
Bears are carnivoran mammals of the family Ursidae. They are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans. Although only eight species of bears are extant, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats throughout the Nort ...
s, use their fangs when hunting fish or other prey, but they are not needed for consuming fruit. Some apes also have fangs, which they use for threats and fighting. However, the relatively short canines of humans are not considered to be fangs.
Fangs in religion, mythology and legend
Certain mythological and legendary creatures such as
dragons,
gargoyles and
yakshas are commonly depicted with prominent fangs. The fangs of
vampires are one of their defining characteristics.
The iconographic representation of some Hindu deities include fangs, to symbolize the ability to hunt and kill. Two examples are fierce warrior goddess
Chamunda
Chamunda (Sanskrit: चामुण्डा, ISO-15919: Cāmuṇḍā), also known as Chamundeshwari, Chamundi or Charchika, is a fearsome form of Chandi, the Hindu Divine Mother Shakti and is one of the seven Matrikas (mother goddesses). ...
and god of death
Yama
Yama (Devanagari: यम) or Yamarāja (यमराज), is a deity of death, dharma, the south direction, and the underworld who predominantly features in Hindu and Buddhist religion, belonging to an early stratum of Rigvedic Hindu deities. ...
in some iconographic representations. Fangs are also common among guardian figures such as Verupaksha in Buddhism art in China and East Asia, as well as
Rangda
Rangda is the demon queen of the Leyaks in Bali, according to traditional Balinese mythology. Terrifying to behold, the child-eating Rangda leads an army of evil witches against the leader of the forces of good — Barong. The battle betwe ...
in Balinese
Hinduism.
See also
*
Tusk
References
External links
{{wiktionary, fang
An overview of the diversity and evolution of snake fangs
Teeth
Veterinary dentistry
no:Hoggtann